Writing at University

Editing and proofreading

For guidance about wordcount, please see section 3 of Appendix 3c/The Conduct of Assessment

None of us get it right first time. James Michener, author of over 40 books, said “I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter.” Don't submit your first draft - make sure you allow time to edit; it will make a significant difference to your writing.

Writing is immersive; for editing and proofreading you need to step back to create some distance/objectivity and try to see your writing from the perspective of a reader. You can do this by allowing some time to pass and working on a print-out of your assignment. Don't try and do it all at once, work in short bursts so that you don't lose concentration. Revisit it a couple of times, starting with the bigger picture, structure and argument, before focusing down on individual paragraphs and finally proofreading. Watch the Editing video for more tips.

Structure	Are all your paragraphs in the best order to present a coherent argument? Have you used Signposting to direct your reader? Watch our reverse outline video to learn about a useful technique.
Paragraphs	Does each paragraph have just one main point backed up by evidence and analysis? Paragraph structure
Sentence structure	It is a myth that academic writing has to consist of very long, complicated sentences. If you write in this way, your reader will forget what you said at the beginning of your sentence and will soon become lost. Present your information and argument to your reader clearly so they are not left wondering exactly what you mean. Each of your sentences should be able to stand alone as a sub point to the ‘big idea’ of your paragraph. A good strategy to check for clarity of phrasing, sentence length and punctuation placement is to read your work aloud.
Evidence	Have you backed up your statements/argument with evidence, correctly referenced? Allow time to submit through the Turnitin test area (accessed via BlackBoard) to help avoid inadvertent plagiarism.
Take out	Any unnecessary description and irrelevant information. Focus on your question. Any unnecessary words. Concise writing is a skill to develop. Queen's University has a really useful handout: Eliminating wordiness
Style	Formal tone, Accurate word choice - make sure the words you use mean what you think, the right word makes all the difference. If you've been using synonyms to replace words, make sure the definition of the synonym matches the meaning you intend. Consistent tense - within sentences. Create flow by linking sentences and ideas.
Proofreading	Proofreading involves meticulously checking through a piece of writing in search of errors: Spelling mistakes Repetition of words Punctuation and grammar Spelling and Grammar
Introduction	Have you: Set the context? Made the focus of your assignment clear? Laid out how you will "answer" the question? How to write introductions
Conclusion	Draws together all the points you have made into one over arching conclusion; it might sometimes make recommendations. Check that you've covered what you said you were going to do in the Introduction. Have you met the Learning Outcomes? Structuring a conclusion

This may look daunting to start with, but you will start to develop an awareness of which areas you find most challenging that you need to develop further.